MIAMI (NewsNation) — Ground delays have been issued at several airports nationwide on Friday due to staffing shortages, as multiple airports see a reduction in flight offerings amid the record-long government shutdown.
The Federal Aviation Administration reports ground delays at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and San Francisco International Airport.
The advisories come as the FAA has scaled back operations to maintain air safety. Its order includes a list of 40 airports operating at reduced capacity spanning more than two dozen states and nearly all major air travel hubs, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta.
More than 1,200 flights were canceled across the U.S. on Friday morning, according to FlightAware, and the number was expected to skyrocket.
The FAA said the reductions would begin at 4% and ramp up to 10% by Nov. 14. The changes would be in effect between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and were expected to affect all commercial airlines.
Travelers frustrated, worried amid flight reductions
Delta Air Lines said it would cancel approximately 170 flights on Friday, and American Airlines planned to cut 220 flights a day through Monday. United Airlines was also expected to cancel around 200 flights.
The changes have left some passengers nervous and frustrated, especially as the busy holiday travel season looms.
“I’m OK flying out today. I’m supposed to come back on Monday, and I’m a little nervous about being able to get home,” one traveler told NewsNation.
“I almost canceled my trip because I was like, I don’t even know what’s going to happen,” another traveler told NewsNation. “Then, I just decided, alright, we’re just going to go for it, we’ll see what happens. But it’s just all unexpected. I’m just sick of it, it’s like, what about us?”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said it could take some time for air travel to return to normal even after the government reopens.
Airlines offering refunds, flex rebooking
Delta, United, American and Southwest have offered ticket refunds, including for nonrefundable tickets, for travelers who choose not to fly right now.
Frontier Airlines has offered refunds for travelers whose flights are canceled, for domestic flights that are delayed by more than three hours, and for international flights that are delayed by more than six hours.
Travelers are recommended to avoid connecting flights whenever possible and to check their airline’s app often for travel updates.